Watch Out! These Warm Nights Are Bringing Out The Critters.

Over the weekend, my family hosted a bit of a family reunion out to camp. Some of my cousins from away were staying at another cousin's house who lived nearby. When I say that out loud, it starts to sound like a scene from The Deliverance.... Anyhoo, I gave them a ride, and in the span of about ten minutes, I saw four deer, a rabbit, a skunk, and a porcupine.

For generally nocturnal animals, it was pretty much prime time. It was around 10:30, and there were just woodland creatures everywhere. And according to state Moose Biologist Lee Kantar when speaking to FOX-TV22, we'd all better pay a bit more attention. Especially up north as bit.

When you get to eastern Aroostook County, towards Caribou and Presque Isle, those are the much more heavy hit areas.

Overall, however, the amount of moose related crashes has been going down quite a bit. It's been a combination of making the roads more well-lit, and more unfriendly to the moose. And sadly... ticks. So yes, the number of crashes is going down, but the population is shrinking a bit too.

On the other hand, deer crashes have gone up a bit. Data from the Maine DOT have shown that deer have a pretty diverse appetite, and like to eat lots of different things, so roadways provide them with easy access to a wide variety of foods.

Really, it's up to us to try and be more safe. A moose is gonna be a moose, no matter what. But it's you and I that can't be careless. Be aware of signage, and your surroundings. We all know too many people with stories that have a sad ending from hitting a deer or moose. Let's keep that number as low as possible.